I waited a few days, and then called on him again for orders, and still he did not know what I had better do. I felt as if I had rendered service to the Government that was worthy of some notice from the Chief Executive of my State, and to be treated with such indifference was to me provoking. He might have done one thing or the other: got my papers made right and set me to raising a company, or have had me ordered back to the front; but he did neither. At length, being disgusted with making any further effort to raise a company, I went back to the front without orders, and reported to the commanding officer of my regiment. Finding that I had no order returning me to duty in the regiment, he refused to have me in his command. I then reported to Major-General Howard, who said that I was subject to order from the War Department, and that he had no authority over me. I remarked, "I guess, then, that I must be out of the service altogether. I'll go and see what General Sherman can do for me." I went to him and told him what I had done, and he said to me, "You may remain at my head-quarters until further orders." I must say that I felt sadly disappointed and disheartened at my failure in raising a command of my own. If I had humored the Governor in the first attempt to raise a company, I would, undoubtedly have been a Captain, but I was determined to have such a command as I wanted or none. The reader must judge for himself whether I have merited it or not. In about five days after my arrival at the front, General Sherman started on his grand campaign through Georgia. Not a doubt was entertained by the troops of their ability to march triumphant across to the Atlantic coast. Very few there were but who anticipated correctly the point of destination at the outset of the march, and at the prospect before them were highly elated. Never were men in better spirits than when the march commenced. It was the most decisive and glorious campaign of the war, and yet fraught with the least of personal adventure of any campaign that I have taken part in. My duty was one in common with the other scouts, and the soldiers of the _entire army were all scouts_. My individual experience was not different from that of the great mass of soldiers. Our duty was to subsist ourselves and devastate the country as completely as possible, taking good care not to get captured. This we accomplished successfully. The army never lived better and the men never enjoyed better health; and when we reached the Atlantic coast we were in better condition physically than when we started from Atlanta. The march occupied a period of seventy-seven days, every day of which we were on the move.